May 29, 2003 -- Michael Nevin, Jr.: Political Correctness and Common Sense

Multnomah County officials later backed down from the fatuous decision to seek a Klingon interpreter as late night personalities and comedians had a field day at the county’s expense. “It was a mistake, and a result of an overzealous attempt to ensure that our safety net systems can respond to all customers and clients,” Multnomah County chair Diane Linn stated in a news release. Some people in the county finally understood the underlining theme: “yIDoghQo,” translated by the Klingon Language Institute as “don’t be silly.”

This recent event suggests that inmates really are running the asylum. Who scares you more: the people who speak Klingon or the folks proposing the Klingon interpreter position? It is another example of common sense filtering out of our society faster than Jayson Blair’s columns in the New York Times archives.

Everyday we are barraged with tales of political correctness gone awry. One needs to look no further than our schools and universities to find culpability for this conduct. California is one of many states that have censored American history in its textbooks in favor of political correctness. The omissions include Mount Rushmore because it appears to offend American-Indian groups. Mount Rushmore, the world’s greatest mountain carving with George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln, is a national treasure. However, children may never learn that in a California classroom. Even “Frosty the Snowman” has melted away in favor of “Snowperson.”

Encinal High School in Alameda, California is embroiled in controversy regarding a decommissioned Marine Corp A-4 Skyhawk fighter. The jet, displayed on the school’s front yard for decades, went in for a facelift but it seems that a few people want to block its return. Carlos Zialcita, an Encinal computer teacher stated, “I would see it as sort of a leftover from a previous era. The parents of our Vietnamese and Cambodian and Afghan kids especially…have been affected by the tragedies of war, and I think we shouldn’t say that that’s insignificant or somehow not important.” Never mind that the school mascot is a smiling cartoon plane or that the athletic teams are called the Jets. Alameda has a proud history with the military going back to the days of the Alameda Naval Air Station. Why do you think the parents of those kids even came to the United States? What about the American born kids who have been affected by war that the teacher fails to mention? Encinal High School should not be ashamed of its close connection and history with the military. This is just another example of a frivolous attempt to teach “American History- Cleansing 101.”

We might expect higher education would feature symposiums encouraging debate and diverse viewpoints. In March, a Citrus College (Glendora, California) adjunct speech professor offered students extra credit for writing letters to public officials. Professor Rosalyn Kahn asked students to write President Bush opposing a war with Iraq. She was accused of denying extra credit if students wrote letters supporting a war. Another extra credit assignment Kahn offered students was to write California State Senator Jack Scott, D-Pasadena, to protest budget cuts which would eliminate adjunct faculty positions. I wonder if the professor even believes she lapsed in judgment or crossed the line. Kahn is not alone in her methods; she just got caught. Many college campuses are perfect breeding grounds for insidious attempts to control thought and modify behavior while indoctrinating young minds.

Is political correctness over-the-top? Just ask A.C. Cephus, a security guard in Chicago, who faced termination for telling people to “Have a beautiful, blessed day.” It was insulting and bothersome to some people entering the building where he is employed. Fortunately, after a media blitz covering the story, the termination threat was rescinded. I suggest another Klingon phrase for those offended by the greeting: “naDevvo’ yIqhos.” Or if you prefer the English version its “Go away!”

###

Michael Nevin, Jr. is a California law enforcement officer.
Nevin166@comcast.net